Spica's breath stinks! (she's not even a year old)

[gothic_amethyst]

Originally posted by Sicycat
I totally understand that many things do need the attention of a vet. It just seems like no matter what is posted here, how big or how small of an issue in every single thread, the answer is always the same 'take your cat to the vet.' I've since stopped posting issues about my cats here because if I wanted that kind of advice I'd already be at the vet *shrug*

I've noticed that too, and sometimes it is annoying, but there are legal reasons they do that. If it wasnt for all the people that would sue because they followed information here (even though they themselves asked and chose to follow it) and something happened to their cat, then I'm sure they'd be fine with giving out all the info they knew. It is ashame that they cant, but this place does have it's value. We all have to deal with this. Yes it's annoying sometimes, but it's for a reason.

 

[gothic_amethyst]

Originally posted by gunner19
When we first got Solaman he was about two years old. His breath was just awful!! He was due for his shots so asked the vet about it while we were there. Low and behold he had some tarter build up on his teeth causing the problem....BTW the vet did recomend only feeding him wet food as a special treat every once and a while. He said his problems were caused by too much wet and not enough dry food.

I suspect with her it's just tarter or food. She was chewing on my finger and some food was left on it. I'm gonna have the vet look her over and check her for tarter and whatever else. Hopefully it's just food or tarter and he can clean her teeth and show me some things to do.

 

[sandie]

I have to admit that I would also say to schedule an appt with a veterinarian. It's not an emergency, but having them look at the gums and teeth will give you an answer. True, maybe 80% of cats have a problem with gingivitis but this is also an issue that needs to be addressed. It gives you an idea of what to look for, and then you know your cat may need a dental from time to time.
Then you have roughly the other 20% of cats who may have another underlying problem. I have said this before, and I will say it again...cats will hide alot of medical problems/pain as long as possible because of instinct. Just to name a few, stomatitis, infection, abcess, and kidney problems can cause breath odor.
No matter the medical or behavioral issue, this site was not intended to replace the medical care of a veterinarian. If you look through the threads, you will see support, people sharing the same experience and comparing treatment, and advice. Even the most experienced vets wont try and diagnose something without seeing the pet.

 

[gothic_amethyst]

Sandie:
I plan to take her the begining of the week. I just didnt know untill last night that bad breath can be anything other than some problem like smelly litter boxes. Mainly though I think it's something to do with her teeth because she is very heathy and active as hasnt been acting any different every since I've had her inside months ago. Hopefully it's nothing serious and they can clean her teeth and show me how to keep them clean.

I know she could be hiding it, that's why I'm taking her in to see the vet. As soon as I found out lastnight that it wasnt normal I decided right then to take her. I only posted cause I thought this was just caused by her food or something and that it was one of those things all cat owners deal with like smelly litterboxes. I know this place cant replace a vet and I never have said I wanted it to. I didnt even know this was an actual problem that needs vet care until last night.

 

[superkitty]

Amber, if your cat is between 5-10 mths, it is very common for the kitten to have bad breath as he/she is teething and growing. My vet, and 2 other online vets confirm this. I was worried too about Pixie's bad breath, which smelled extra fishy strong, and also had a big red bubble on her gum, so of course I ran her in to the vet, where he said her breath and the swelled gum (erupting tooth) was normal for a teething kitten. The gums cleared up by itself in 4 days, and I saw a little white tip. The breath is less stinky now.

Besides the breath, another indication of gingivitis is the border of red inflamed gum lining all around the teeth. The vet thought Mozart had this at 7 mths, but no bad breath. He was scheduled for a vet cleaning a couple mths later, but it cleared up by that time. In hindsight, because of his age, I think it was related to his teething. BUT if the cat is older, it's NEVER going to go away, it only gets worse, and you have to take them in for a cleaning.

Spica isn't, but if the cat is older than a year with extra stinky breath, then there are possible health problems already discussed in earlier replies. In your case, I got the feeling that you weren't sure how strong a cat's breath should be, and weren't used to it. It should not knock your socks off if she yawns a foot away from your face. But you're visiting the vet soon, so you can get pointers on what's too smelly, and it could take a while before you can brush Spica well. Pixie still is Ms. Squirmy, and it's been a month since I started.

OFF TOPIC: Alrighty, I got in here just to answer a bad breath question, but gotta say I agree with Sicy's observation. I've noticed the same thing. No need for any of the mods to reiterate your position after my reply; The Policy is posted above very clearly in several replies, and we got the message. Go to a vet. TCS is not liable. Better safe than sorry.

Other people's experiences or advice is what I want to get if I'm asking about a problem. Ending all replies with a "Go to the vet" disclaimer is fine. But it's completely unhelpful if the only advice in the post is "Go to a vet immediately", and it's equally applied across the board big or small, whether the cat is shedding a nail or going into seizures. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Amber, sorry to go OT on your thread, hope your visit to the vet turns out uneventful. Please let us know what they say.

 

[deb25]

Sorry superkitty, but if you are going to hang it out there, you are asking for a response. Saying "go to a vet" doesn't have a thing in the world to do with liability against this site. It has everything to do with being a responsible pet owner. I have seen many, many posts where advice is offered. But I also believe that when the people on this site who know a hell of a lot more about animal care than I claim to tell someone to see a vet, it is in the best interest of the animal. I see too many owners who are loathe to put their hands in their wallets beyond food and litter.

 

[gothic_amethyst]

superkitty:

She is between 5-10 months. My aunt has Spica's brother and Sister and going by the age on their last vet bill then they are all around 7 months. I've expected her breath to be due to teething, but I've not known how much is normal or not since I havnt noticed my outside cat's breath before. What you described sounds like her, but I still should take her so they can make sure the tooth is going to come in ok. Considering she is my first young cat inside, I'm being very paranoid. The day I take her the vet will probably laugh at me, but I dont care. I just want to know if she's ok.

It could be gingivitis too because some of her teeth the gums are red, just not all. The red could also be because of teething.

I'm definately not used to cats breath. I'm used to no real smell except after food...I guess cause outside there are so many other smells around. Inside my room is clean. Her breath is pretty bad, but it's gotten better the last couple of days. The only bad breath I've ever smelt before was coming from a kitten I doctored recently for a upper resp. infection. Hers was really really bad a totally different smell than Spica's. That kitten you could tell it was sick not only because of her breath but because of her breathing and stuff. If she's on my chest I smell it and also if she's on my comp desk in front of me as I type...is that close enough to be normal?
I can tell already Spica will be a squirmer. She fought me just trying to look in her mouth and she doesnt like to be held unless she wants to be held.

It's ok. I hope so too! As soon as I take her I'll let you know what happened. I'm not sure yet what day because I have to take care of the house while Grandma is away for a few days.

 

[clarabelle]

She is between 5-10 months. My aunt has Spica's brother and Sister and going by the age on their last vet bill then they are all around 7 months.

Considering she is my first young cat inside, I'm being very paranoid. The day I take her the vet will probably laugh at me, but I dont care. I just want to know if she's ok.

Has your cat ever been to the Vet? for vac/rabies shots? Those should start around 7 to 12 weeks old right? Someone correct me if I am wrong

I do not mean to upset anyone, that is just my thought on taking care of pets.
Clara

 

[hissy]

Usually to be safe you take the kitty in at 6-9 weeks for the first set of vaccinations and to be checked over by the vet with booster shots given every 4 weeks until the kitten is 16 weeks old.

 

[gothic_amethyst]

***First off, I dont word things very well so dont take anything below as me being mad, I'm just trying to explain things so you understand what I meant in my other post.***

Clara Posted:

Has your cat ever been to the Vet? for vac/rabies shots? Those should start around 7 to 12 weeks old right? Someone correct me if I am wrong I do not mean to upset anyone, that is just my thought on taking care of pets.
Clara

What does shots have to do with bad breath?? Also she is months not weeks. I've never even mentioned shots...all I can guess is by you quoting the two passages below you think I never took her and also that I dont plan to! I know how to take care of my pets. You dont mean to upset someone, but it's insulting to say that.
You quoted the two passages below, I have some comments.

quote:
She is between 5-10 months. My aunt has Spica's brother and Sister and going by the age on their last vet bill then they are allaround 7 months.

This quote applied to them ALL. I said "their last vet bill" and "they are ALL" meaning all three.

quote:
Considering she is my first young cat inside, I'm being very paranoid. The day I take her the vet will probably laugh at me, but I dont care. I just want to know if she's ok.

I have no clue why you pulled out this quote except that you misunderstood it. I was saying that I'm being paranoid because she is my first INSIDE cat. I'm not used to cat breath. All my other cats are outside so I dont notice it. Saying "the day I take her to the vet" meant this week. You should know that if you read this whole thread. I'm talking about him laughing because I'm being paranoid over alittle bad breath not because I'm taking her to the vet. That little sentence applied to the rest of my post and you seperating it like this in a quote gives it a whole new meaning to it. You didnt read the rest of the paragraph before it. It should be:

Quote:I've not known how much is normal or not since I havnt noticed my outside cat's breath before. What you described sounds like her, but I still should take her so they can make sure the tooth is going to come in ok. Considering she is my first.....See I said right there that I was going to take her to make sure the tooth is coming in ok.

I'm sorry you misunderstood me...whether it was my wording or what it doesnt matter....just know that I do take good care of my pets. I would never and could never harm them. Anyone that knows me knows how I am twards all nature.

 

[superkitty]

Hey Amber, I know what you meant. Anyone who's ever read your posts knows what a good cat mommy you are, and you already said several times in this thread that you were taking Spica in soon. I'd also like to know how vac shots are associated with bad breath.

When you first start brushing her, do a little a day if she won't let you do it all at once. Be VERY gentle to the gums, as they are more delicate than human gums. I talk constantly to Pixie while I'm doing it so she's not so nervous.

I had to laugh when you mentioned that you were paranoid since she was your first inside cat. Not at all, I'm exactly the same way, and I'm proud of it! You want your cat to be the healthiest he/she can be. Sicy and I are seriously uber-vigilant about our cats' well-being, and chat with each other often to compare notes. Both of us run our cats to the vets all the time, but not everyone can do that.

 

[gothic_amethyst]

superkitty:

Thank you! I'm glad you can see that

It really made no sense why she posted what she posted, but I dont have a gift with wording things so It's partly my fault probably.

I'll be suprised if Spica lets me brush her at all! She's not the type of cat that wants to be messed with. She's rather be sleeping, playing or looking out the window! I didnt know they were more delicate! I guess they are though...cause they cant exactly say "ow" if we brush too hard.

I am paranoid, but sometimes I think I'm too paranoid. I like being paranoid too though because sometimes it can be very handy preventing a disaster. I've rushed mine to the vet before and it's been nothing. I cant really afford to be doing that so that's why unless it's something I know for sure is a problem, I try to post and ask about it first. Believe it or not one cat was laying around alot one day and I took him in and they said he was perfectly fine. That's when I decided I was getting alittle too paranoid. Silly kitty was fine when I got him home except for being mad at 'mommy' for taking him to the vet!

 

[squirtle]

Originally posted by Deb25
I have seen many, many posts where advice is offered. But I also believe that when the people on this site who know a hell of a lot more about animal care than I claim to tell someone to see a vet, it is in the best interest of the animal. I see too many owners who are loathe to put their hands in their wallets beyond food and litter.

I have not been posting here for long, and I notice that this issue has turned somewhat into a disagreement but all I wanted to add is that it is ovbious that most everyone who uses this site loves their cats and wants the best for them. Otherwise there wouldn't be pictures everywhere of everyone's cats, there wouldn't be posts of people's concerns, or stories about their cats and how happy they make them. It doesn't seem to me that these are the people who do not want to spend any money on their cats other than litter or food. Some people just want to share their thoughts and feelings and see what everyone else thinks. There are also others who may not be able to afford to take their cat to the vet for one reason or another. I noticed my cat just not being herself a couple of months ago and posted about it for advice. I couldn't afford to take her to the vet that week, but if need be I would surely have allowed my phone to be disconnected or done whatever it took to get her in if it had been an emergency.

As far as kitty breath goes, my Dori's breath doesn't seem to smell too bad. It sometimes smells a little fishy after she has eaten. I give her half a can of food in the morning and she always has Science Diet dry food down. I give her tarter control treats also. Her teeth are white and shiny. But she is only a year old, so she hasn't had much time to mess them up.